Sometimes It Doesn't Work
by Light-Eco-Sage
Summary: Tenzin loves Lin, but the relationship is going nowhere fast. Pema loves Tenzin, but has been friend-zoned. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. Kataang, Tenlin, Tenma. CHAPTER 5 UP!
1. The Argument

**Sometimes It Doesn't Work**

**By: Light-Eco-Sage**

**Rated: Teen for romance. (Kataang, Tenlin, Tenma)**

**Summary: Tenzin loves Lin, but the relationship is going nowhere fast. Pema loves Tenzin, but has been 'Friend Zoned' by him. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better.**

**Disclaimer: **_**Avatar: The Last Airbender**_** and **_**The Legend of Korra**_** are owned by Mike, Bryan, and Nickelodeon.**

**LES: This story is based on the love triangle revelation in Episode 6. I hereby vow to treat all involved pairings with respect, no matter how they ultimately end up. If anything, I don't think people are going to be nearly as upset with me over the whole Tenlin/Tenma thing as they are going to be over another non-canon detail I'm adding in the story, specifically about Toph. If I get death threats about this story, it will definitely be over that…**

* * *

**Chapter I: The Argument**

It was something that was becoming far more common lately on the grounds of Air Temple Island. Everyone just tried to go about their business while ignoring the couple that was whispering harshly towards each other.

Aang and Katara both sighed, watching their youngest son duking it out with his lover once again. Neither of them had gotten involved with Tenzin's love life, which was too complicated for them… Aang, especially.

When Aang was growing up before the hundred year war, it was unthinkable to have sex with someone before marriage. After the hundred year war, when his wife, Katara, was growing up, it was more common but still unacceptable. Now, sex before marriage was not only acceptable, but a given.

Both their son and Lin were products of the age, and they had made no secret of the fact that they were having sex, both with each other and in their previous relationships.

Both Aang and Katara knew that sex had a way of complicating a relationship, especially when it was the source of the conflict.

"I just can't believe that you would go against _my_ wishes like that!" Lin hissed at her lover. "I told you that I don't want children! What if I get pregnant? You should have been more careful!"

"Careful?" Tenzin hissed back. "I apologize, then. I'm sorry that I never had to watch myself before. None of the other girls that I've had sex with seemed concerned about it."

"Oh, really? You're just lump me in with all the other whores you've dated?" Lin replied, frowning. "You know as well as I do that they were just hoping you'd get them pregnant so they could trap you in a marriage."

"That…" Tenzin trailed off, his face going red and his infamous temper began to rise. He stopped, and took a calming breath as his father had taught him. "That's crossing the line, Lin. I've never insulted the men you've dated, and there were plenty that were less-than-satisfactory."

"There you go again, acting like my big brother rather than my lover." Lin commented.

Tenzin's words caught in his throat. It was certainly true that they'd grown up together and that he had been a brother to her, but the feelings that he had for her now were far from brotherly. "Lin… I only say these things because I love you. I loved you as a brother when we were children, and I love you so much more now that we are adults."

"If you do love me, then respect my wishes when it comes to my body and my life. I _don't want children_."

"And what about _my_ wishes and _my_ life?" Tenzin asked. "You know that I have a responsibility to my father… to the whole world, to have children. I do want children, Lin, I can't help it."

Lin sighed. "I'm sorry, Tenzin, but you are asking me for the one thing that I cannot do." She leaned forward and kissed him. He eagerly returned the kiss, eager to show her that, although they'd been trapped in this disagreement for weeks, he still loved her.

She pulled away, smiling sadly at him. "I'll see you tomorrow after work, Tenzin."

"I look forward to it, Lin." Tenzin replied. She turned and left. Once she was gone, Tenzin sighed. "Mom, Dad… I know that you're standing there."

Aang and Katara exchanged a glance before they stepped out in the open. "Things are still rough?" Katara asked.

"You can say that." Tenzin sighed. He caught the concerned looks on his parent's faces. "It's fine, honestly. You've told me yourself that every couple has rough spots. This whole thing with Lin will eventually blow over."

"Tenzin…" Katara sighed. "I know that you don't want to hear this, but there is a difference between having a rough spot in a relationship and wanting different things in the future. The later is far harder to overcome."

"I know what the problem is." Tenzin said. "Lin doesn't want to be a single mother, like Aunt Toph." Years ago, just after Tenzin had been born, Aang and Katara were both shocked to learn that Toph was pregnant. She didn't have a boyfriend or any known prospects. She never did reveal the name of Lin's father. Toph had raised Lin alone until Lin was ten years old. It was then that Toph was involved with an accident in a battle against one of the Bending Triads. Toph passed away, leaving Lin orphaned, but not alone. Toph had named Aang and Katara Lin's guardians when she was born, and the couple was more than happy to take Lin in as a second daughter. Aang had become as close to Lin's father as she would ever get, and she loved him dearly, even calling him 'father'. She never called Katara her mother, but she still respected her.

Both Aang and Katara caught the subtle hints in Tenzin's words. "Tenzin, are you going to propose to Lin?" Aang asked.

"I love her, Father. I really think that it's the right thing to do." Tenzin replied.

Both Aang and Katara were torn between being happy for their youngest son, and also concerned that this may not be the right decision. However, they did know one thing: Tenzin was an adult now, and any mistakes that he may or may not make were his own. "Good luck, son." Aang finally said, taking the middle ground between the two options. He did wish Tenzin luck. He just wanted his son to be happy, whoever he ended up marrying. What father would want less?

"Thanks, Dad."

* * *

As Tenzin walked back towards his living quarters, he abruptly ran into one of the Air Acolytes living on the island. It was actually someone that he was very glad to see: one of his greatest friends, Pema.

Pema was a lot younger than him, half his age, but their friendship had bonded quickly over a mutual love for the Air Nomads. She was his advisor and confidant when his parents could not be.

While Tenzin looked at Pema and saw a good friend, that was not the way that Pema saw him. Sure, her feelings for him had started out as being platonic, and she was more than happy to just bond with him over their love for the Air Nomads, to be his friend, and to listen to his hopes, loves, and concerns. But that had all changed when she did end up getting closer to him and realized that she no longer felt platonically for him, but she was fully in love with him.

She never told him, though. She knew that he loved Lin, and if he was happy, then she could be happy too. Most days, seeing his smile was enough.

However, he was not smiling now. She could see a distinct sorrow in his eyes. "Tenzin, is something wrong?" She asked.

"It's nothing, Pema." Tenzin replied. "I'm fine. Just having a rough spot with Lin right now. Nothing that won't end up blowing over."

"It's nothing too serious, I hope?" Pema asked.

"No, it's not. Lin doesn't want to have children with me right now. I think that she wants to get married before we do. I'm… I'm going to propose to her!" Tenzin paused. "Wow… it's kind of scary when you say it out loud."

Pema's heart sank. Of course, the better part of her was happy that Tenzin was going to be happy and in love with Lin, but the other part of her was understandably upset. You'd have to be made of stone in order to not feel at least a little hurt that the man you love is going to marry someone else. Pema quickly hid the feelings and smiled at him. "That's such good news, Tenzin! Good luck!" She said.

"Thanks, Pema. I knew I could count on you." Tenzin said, smiling. He embraced her and, still smiling happily, resumed his walk towards his private quarters.

Pema let a single heart-wrenching sob escape her throat before she quickly stopped. She knew this was coming. It had been coming for a long time. Tenzin had been with Lin for the whole time she knew him, and he was happy with her. Tenzin loved Lin, and she was just a good friend to him.

She buried her feelings.

* * *

**LES: Chapter 1 done! Will write the next one soon…**


	2. The Crisis

**LES: By the way, the real reason that Tenzin and Lin broke up is not because Lin didn't want children. It's because they both wanted children! Think about it… any child of Tenzin and Lin would combine the genes of Aang, Katara, and Toph within a single person (not to mention Tenzin and Lin themselves)! The world is just not ready for that level of awesomeness… LOL**

**Chapter II: The Crisis**

* * *

The next several days passed with no further arguments between Tenzin and Lin. They'd dropped the children issue for now, and they were back to being a perfectly happy couple again. Only Aang, Katara, and Pema were aware of Tenzin's plans to propose to Lin.

Pema watched Tenzin every day as he slowly worked up the courage to speak to Lin about marriage. It was hard, harder than she ever imagined it would be, but she stayed silent for the sake of his happiness.

But, at the same time, she couldn't help but noticed that Tenzin's parents didn't seem thrilled about their son's choice in a wife. Of course, she had rarely ever spoken to Avatar Aang or Master Katara one-on-one; she could still sense their worry.

She stayed out of it. This was a matter completely between Tenzin, Lin, and his family. Friends did not have the right to gossip with a young man's family about his choice of bride.

Besides, he grew happier ever day. How could she interfere with something like that?

* * *

Tenzin waited on the docks of Air Temple Island, compulsively arranging and re-arranging his robes. There was only one reason for his nerves: he had a date with Lin tonight, and he was going to propose to her.

He was nervous. Of course, he was nervous! Everyone suffered nerves in some way before proposing! Why, his mother always told him stories about how his father couldn't even get the words out: he just handed Katara the betrothal necklace and gaped wordlessly like 'an adorable dork' until Katara had laughed and accepted.

The ferry landed and Lin stepped off the boat, smiling at Tenzin as she made her way down the ramp. She was in his arms in an instant and just as quickly pulled him into a kiss. When she pulled away, she smiled at the sight of the Air Temple. "It's been such a long time since I've come out here on the island." She said. "I had a lot of good memories here as a child."

"I did too." Tenzin replied.

At the same time, they both said "As long as Kya and Bumi weren't annoying us." They gazed at each other and laughed at their in-sync response.

"They could get annoying, couldn't they?" Lin asked with a laugh.

"It's strange, though." Tenzin said thoughtfully. "As a child, I was so different from them. I wanted nothing more than a time when they would grow up and start their own lives. But… now that they are gone… I do miss them."

"It's understandable, Tenzin." Lin said. "You may have been different as night and day from them, but they were still your siblings. Nothing could ever change that."

"Yeah." Tenzin sighed. "Except for you, Lin." He took her hands in his. "We may have been like siblings growing up, but I certainly don't feel that way about you now."

"I should hope not. You'd have some serious incest issues, otherwise." Lin joked.

Tenzin laughed. "Come with me for a moment."

Lin smiled at him. "Okay." She said, allowing herself to be led away into the darkness of the island, away from the buildings of the Temple.

* * *

Pema had always loved taking care of the lemurs of the island. They were just so cute, scrambling all over one's body in the search of food to steal. They made great listeners too, for you could tell them anything without fear of human judgment. You could tell them your deepest, darkest secrets and they would think no less of you. Pema loved that about them.

"I know that it's wrong." Pema began as she handed one of her favorite lemurs a moon peach. She had bonded to the little creature the moment she came to live on the island, and she certainly loved her moon peaches. Avatar Aang once mentioned to her in passing that 'her' lemur was one of Momo's descendants. Pema, like everyone else, had grown up hearing stories about Avatar Aang's adventures, including his pet lemur that had gotten them out of more than one scrap. It certainly made her appreciate her lemur even more. "But there are days when I feel like I should just tell Tenzin how I feel about him." She sighed, petting her lemur's head.

"But that's completely selfish." She said. "He's in love with Lin, and he's happy with her. I know that. I'm happy that he's happy. But, still, I can't help but want him for myself." Her lemur lowered the moon peach and met her eyes. "Don't get me wrong! I would never draw him into an adulterous relationship or seduce him away from Lin! But I can't stop imagining myself _with_ him. Imagining is not too bad, is it, as long as it stays in my mind?" Her lemur, of course, provided no answer. Pema didn't really need one, though. She just wanted someone to listen, and her little pet did that and more. She scratched the lemur's ears, enjoying the soft happy purr that came from the creature.

Pema's musings were cut off by the sound of someone stumbling up the pathway. She was, mercifully, hidden from view by the foliage, but she could tell just from the sound of the voices who was coming up the path: Tenzin and Lin, laughing like the lovers that they were.

Pema ducked into the shadows, plotting the best way to get out of the situation. If she were an Airbender, she could have easily snuck away without them noticing. She also didn't know if Lin had her mother's legendary perception. Would she detect her presence if she moved? All-in-all, Pema decided that the best course of action was to stay where she was, still and silent. She could ignore them, right? It wasn't like she could see them.

She heard the sounds of a passionate lip-lock and nearly groaned. _Maybe this will be harder than I thought._

* * *

Lin smiled at Tenzin pulled away from her, gazing into her eyes. Sure, he was an Airbender; and, historically speaking, things were never smooth between Airbenders and Earthbenders. Clashing personalities, as her mother said. But Tenzin was different. He was not like Aang, as much as she loved her surrogate father. He was more like Katara: serious, responsible… the sort of things that Lin was.

"I love you." Lin whispered. Tenzin was not the first person to hear those words from her, but he was the first person to be told them truthfully. For her previous boyfriends, the words were used as a gateway to sex. But Tenzin was too good for that. He'd had his fair share of girls just looking to get into his pants because he was the Avatar's son. Lin cared for him too much to do that.

"I love you too." Tenzin replied. Unlike Lin, Tenzin had never said the words to any of his previous girlfriends. They'd all readily jumped into bed with him without the need for those words, so he'd never used them. They kissed, pouring their passions out towards each other.

Tenzin groaned as her hands found their way beneath his robes, finding his leanly muscled chest. He knew those touches, knew that Lin wanted to make love. But he took her wrists gently in his hands. He had to speak to her first. "Lin?"

"What is it, Tenzin?" Lin asked.

"I have to ask you something first." He said. "I asked you to come out here for a reason tonight."

Lin smiled at him. "Go on."

"I love you more than I have loved any woman before in my life." Tenzin began factually. "And I know that I want to spend my entire life with you."

"Tenzin…" Lin whispered.

He smiled at her. "I want it all with you, Lin. I want marriage, I want growing old with you. I want your face to be the last one I see before we sleep each night and the first one I see in the morning. I want children…"

As quickly as the words were out of his mouth, the mood soured. Lin's soft grin was replaced by a frown. "What?"

Tenzin mentally stalled, his train of thought broken. For a while, he could only stare at Lin, confused. "Um… I want children." He repeated.

"Yes, I heard what you said." Lin said. "But I can't believe that you said it." Lin sighed, pressing her palm to her forehead. "Tenzin, we've been over this before, and I don't want to fight with you about it anymore, especially not tonight. I've told you again and again that I don't want children."

"Wait… you mean you _never_ want children?" Tenzin asked, shocked.

"Yes."

Now Tenzin was in even greater shock before. Every woman that he'd ever known had wanted children as some point. He knew that there were wrong times to have children, and that's what he thought Lin meant when she said that she didn't want children, but the thought that she would _never_ want children was so foreign to the young Airbender that he could scarcely comprehend it.

"What did you think I meant by 'I don't want children'?" Lin asked.

Tenzin was afraid to answer. In hindsight, it was his foolishness that led to this. But it was happening now, and couldn't be stopped. "I thought that you didn't want children now, but that you'd want them eventually."

Lin's eyes hardened. "Do you even know why I don't want children?" She asked.

"I assumed that it had to do with your mother. That you didn't want to be a single mother like her, so you wanted to wait for marriage." Tenzin said.

"You are only partially right, Tenzin. My desire to not have children does have to do with my mother, but not because she was a single mother." Lin said. "My mother was the strongest woman that I'll ever know, Tenzin. I don't know what happened between her and my father to lead to their estrangement, but she raised me as long as she could by herself. I'll always respect and love her memory for that strength. And then… and then she died." Lin trailed off, tears forming in her eyes. Tenzin hung his head. He had been devastated when he heard the news of Toph's death as well. "She died and I was alone. Well… not alone, I guess. I'll always be grateful to your father and mother for taking me in. But I lost my mother too young."

"Aunt Toph…" Tenzin began emotionally. "She was an amazing woman, and she died a hero."

"Yes, she died a hero, but she still died." Lin said. "I've devoted myself to the Metalbending police that my mother founded. I've worked hard, and now I'm soon going to fill the same office that my mother once held. I'm happy to do it. I love Republic City and will gladly serve them, putting myself on the line for their safety. The odds are, Tenzin, that I will end up dying like my mother. I can't… I can't bring that pain to another child, least of all my own." She was fully in tears now. "I know that you feel the need to bring back the Airbenders, and I wish with all my heart that I could help you, but… I cannot. I'm so sorry, Tenzin."

For a while, Tenzin didn't speak, and then he pulled away from her. "I'm sorry too, Lin. I'm sorry for pressing this matter on you. But you have to understand that I'm out of options. The world needs Airbenders." He remembered his mother's words, that disagreements about the future were often far harder to overcome then rough spots in a relationship. He choked, his throat clogging with emotion. "I'm afraid, Lin, that we're at an impasse here."

Lin let out a shaky breath. "I can see where this is going." She said. "My mother always told me that Airbenders were flighty, that they'd run away rather than face their problems head on."

"No, Lin, it's not like that…" Tenzin began.

"I thought you were different, Tenzin. I thought that you were strong enough to work things out with me."

"Lin, please… if there was a way, an Airbender could have found it." Tenzin said. "But… the fact of the matter is that we need two entirely different things." Even as he spoke the words, his heart was breaking. He never wanted it to come to this with Lin. He loved her. He still loved her. But his parents were right. Marrying her wasn't the right decision, even though the thought alone broke his spirit.

Lin stared at him. "I'll be back tomorrow. Maybe the daylight will make you see sense." She turned, and left, leaving Tenzin alone on the path.

Once he was alone, the tears began to fall in earnest. Little did he know that, down the path, Lin also had tears running down her face.

* * *

Pema remained frozen where she was, in complete and utter shock. Tenzin had been hinting that there was trouble in his relationship with Lin, but she never imagined that it was the sort of trouble that would lead to a semi-kinda-break-up between them.

_It was a break up…_ The selfish part of her heart told her. _Now is the perfect time to confront him._

_No._ Pema thought to herself. _No one would appreciate another suitor approaching them so soon after breaking up with someone that you had loved._

Whether she confronted Tenzin or not, she would give him time. She cared enough for him to give him however much time he needed.

* * *

**LES: So, Tenzin and Lin have had their crisis and Pema is now aware of the extent of the troubles between Tenzin and Lin. They are technically not broken up yet. They are, for lack of a better word, separated.**


	3. The Talk

**LES: This chapter, I think, highlights Aang at one of his best moments. This is the second big scene that I wanted to have in the story when I first started writing it, and I dare say, it's been given more mental consideration then Tenzin and Lin's relationship.**

**Since the start of this story, I've wanted a scene where Aang comforts one of the two heart-broken lovers. It could have been either Tenzin or Lin, and I considered both. But, in the end, I had to go with Lin. I did this not only to expand upon her relationship with Aang, who is like a father to her. But I also felt that she needed Aang more than Tenzin does.**

**Don't worry about Tenzin. He'll have his own moment of comfort… with Katara. Sorry, no Tenma yet.**

**Chapter III: The Talk**

* * *

Avatar Aang sighed in annoyance as he accidentally tipped over his ink tray all over the document that he was supposed to be working on. Quickly, before the ink could set in and ruin the whole page, he bent out the liquid and put it back in its proper place.

Getting old… he'd always felt older than he actually was. It was just part of the deal of being the Avatar. Having an old soul came with the territory of being a reincarnate. But he'd rarely felt _physically_ older than he was. Along with having an old soul, Avatars tended to age gracefully. On the outside, he still looked in his sixties… about middle-age for the average Avatar. But, on the inside, he felt much older than that.

It didn't help that the world sometimes moved too quickly for him. History said that scientific advancement happens exponentially. Every new advancement leads to the discovery of another and another at quicker and quicker paces until discoveries are coming out one after the other.

Aang had all ready been out-dated when he awoke from his hundred year slumber in the iceberg. All the new things that had been discovered in the half-century since then was enough to turn his head: electricity, skyscrapers, personal automobiles…

He had helped to create this new world, but he couldn't help but think that it was not his anymore. This was a world that now belonged to his children. Tenzin was certainly proof of that: an intriguing mixture of Air Nomad beliefs and the accepted morality of this current 'modern' age.

He glanced down at the document: a request to the new head of the Order of the White Lotus, asking them to protect and look after future Avatars during the course of their training. It was the latest in a great series of documents that Aang had put through in concerns with the future. People could not understand his fascination with the future, but Aang knew, deep down, that he was not going to have as much time on this earth as he wanted. His body, failing slowly when it should otherwise be past its prime but still strong, was proof of that.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in." Aang called, expecting it to be Katara. It was late now, and she often came to collect him from his work when he got at it too late.

But the door opened, and it was not Katara. It was Lin, and there were tears running down her face. Aang was up on his feet in an instant. "Lin? What's wrong?" He asked. Perhaps other men would feel strangely about feeling fatherly towards a young woman who was both your son's lover and like a daughter to them, but Lin was his daughter in spirit long before she was Tenzin's lover.

"Daddy." Lin sobbed, and Aang knew that it was bad. Lin hadn't called him 'Daddy' since she was a pre-teen and, even then, only when she was in great distress. Aang moved from behind his desk and opened his arms for her. She accepted the invitation and fell into Aang's strong embrace. She wrapped her arms around him, sobbing into his chest. Aang did not press her, only held her, offering what comfort he could until she told him what was wrong.

It did not take long. Lin was never much for crying. After a few minutes, she got it out of her system. "Lin? What's wrong, tell me." Aang said.

Lin wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "Tenzin and I… we had a fight. I think… he's going to break up with me."

Aang sighed. He had been worried about this happening for weeks, ever since Tenzin had started to hint about the disagreement between him and Lin. "What was the fight about?" He asked.

"Children." Lin said. "Tenzin wants children, but I don't. He says that it isn't going to work out between us." She gazed up at her father's sad face. "I know that it's a major obstacle, but I still love him. I'd marry him in a heart-beat if we could agree on this one issue."

"I know that it hurts to hear this, Lin…" Aang began slowly. "But being childless is no longer an option for Airbenders. Katara and I… we tried our hardest to give the world more Airbenders, and we were able to give them Tenzin, but we could no longer after that. Now Tenzin has to do the thing that I could not: provide the world with at least enough Airbenders that it is not solely the burden of one child like it is for him."

"Daddy? Why did you and Katara stop? Why didn't you try for more children?" Lin asked. "You were young enough…"

Aang sighed. It was a question that he'd been asked about many times and had even been used as a criticism of his marriage with Katara. People said that he just used her to have an Airbending child but had no feelings for her beyond that, because they'd stopped having children after the Airbender was born. They judged him without even knowing the story.

"Katara's last pregnancy with Tenzin was… very hard on her." Aang said slowly. "She got very sick towards the end and both she and Tenzin almost died." He shuttered at the memories of seeing his beloved wife so ill and close to death. "I thank the Spirits every day that both she and Tenzin were able to pull through and live… but every healer we ever visited told us the same thing: that any other pregnancy brought the risk of an even worse illness, and that Katara would surely lose her life if she conceived again."

"I didn't know."

"Very few people do." Aang said. "But, this is not about me. This is about you now, Lin. You have the right to tell Tenzin that you don't want to have children. But you also know that he can't be childless. This places a barrier between the two of you that cannot be scaled except with extreme measures."

"You know a way?" Lin asked.

"There is always a way, but in this case, the way is not pleasant." Aang said. "The only way is to accept the reality that if you marry Tenzin, you'll have to understand that it will be an open marriage."

Unlike Aang, who had to be taught later in life what an open marriage was, Lin understood right away. "You mean I'd have to share my husband with other women, women who'd give him children?"

"That is the only way." Aang said.

"But… that can't be… I wouldn't do that!" Lin gasped.

"Then, as hard as it is for you to accept, you'll have to let Tenzin go." Aang said.

"Daddy? If it was Katara… if she didn't want to have children with you… would you have had an open marriage with her?"

Aang did not reply for several seconds. "No. I wouldn't. I would have ended my relationship with her if we didn't agree on a monumental part of our future like that."

"But… you love her." Lin said.

"I do love her. Lin, while I do believe that there is a soul-mate out there for everyone; there are also lesser people that you can fall in love with just as easily. They are flawed, but love is still possible. If Katara and I had disagreed about a major issue like children… it would have hurt more than I can say to end things with her. But I'd also come to accept the reality that she was not my soul-mate, and just someone I was compatible with."

"So… you and Katara never argue?" Lin asked.

"No real couple goes without fights." Aang told her. "If you ever see a couple who doesn't fight, it's because they do not talk at all. Lack of communication will destroy a relationship faster than petty arguments. Katara and I have had our fights, just like any couple. But they are minor, and we work through them. When it comes to the big things: our relationship, our children, and our lives, we are of one mind."

"How can you tell the difference, between a petty fight and a major argument?"

"You can reach a compromise in a petty fight. In a major argument, it is impossible." Aang said. Lin looked downcast. "Lin, have you ever heard the saying 'All good things in moderation'?" She looked at him, confused. "It means that when you have too much of a good thing, it can be bad for you. Even love can be bad if there's too much of it."

"How can love be bad?" Lin asked.

"Love is blind." Aang told her. "It blinds you to the little flaws in the one you love. But, when there's too much of it, it can blind you to the big problems as well: like the fact that however great your love, it is not going to work out the way you want."

For a while, Lin didn't respond. "I know that you're trying to help me, Daddy, and I really appreciate it…" She met his eyes. "But I still want to try to work things out with Tenzin."

"You do what you feel is right." Aang told her. "I gave you my advice, but you are by no means obligated to follow it if you wish differently. Just remember what I said about the difference between a petty and major argument."

Lin nodded. Aang pulled her into another embrace and kissed her forehead. Lin allowed herself to be held by him: the strongest and most constant male presence in her life. At least she was content in the fact that, no matter what happened between her and Tenzin, her dad would still love her and be there for her. "I love you, Dad." She whispered.

"I love you too, Lin." Aang replied sincerely.

* * *

**LES: So, there were a lot of things going on in this chapter. Little hints about Aang's failing health. Aang's advice for Lin, and her not taking it…**


	4. The Talk Part 2

**LES: What's up, guys? Now it's Tenzin's turn to get some comfort. My main goal with this chapter is to show that, even though Tenzin is initiating the break-up, he's still in pain because of it. Also, by popular demand, I will go into more details about Katara's pregnancy with Tenzin. **

**And, also, a little guessing game! Katara's condition is based on a real condition that pregnant women can get. The first two people (first on here and first on KayEff) to diagnosis Katara correctly will have Chapter 5 dedicated to them. Good luck, medical sleuths!**

**Chapter IV: The Talk, Pt. 2**

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It seemed a fact of life that, when put under a great deal of stress, men became boys again and just wanted the comfort of those older and wiser than them: their parents.

Tenzin moved through his family's residential quarters like the living dead, his hand massaging his temples. His heart felt like it had fallen out and been left up on the hill where he and Lin had that fight. It was the right thing to do, he knew, but that didn't stop him from hurting. Whatever else happened between them, he did love her.

He came to his parent's room and paused outside. There was a light on. That meant that his parents were still awake and, hopefully, not engaged in such activities that he'd be less than happy to walk in on. To be safe, he knocked on the door frame.

"Come in." He heard his mother call, and he responded to her invitation. A quick glance around the room confirmed that his father was not there. If Tenzin knew his father, he was probably pulling a late night with his Avatar duties. He certainly didn't need to bother with the Air Acolytes since Tenzin had taken over their training and duties. His mother glanced up at him. "Tenzin? What's wrong?"

Tenzin couldn't help a small, sad smile that crossed his face. His mother always seemed to know when he was upset. She was like that with her whole family. She could pick up on sadness or strife faster than anyone that Tenzin knew, with the exception of Aunt Toph. "Mom? Can I… talk to you?" Tenzin asked, a note of desperation in his voice.

"Of course, of course you can. Anytime." Katara said, sitting down on her bed and gesturing for Tenzin to sit beside her. He did so. Being in this room again was a great comfort. He had gone through a period of having night terrors and nightmares as a child, so he often had ended up sleeping in here with his parents. For a child, there is no feeling more comforting than that. It was a secret yearning that most children would never out-grow, though they would never admit it. "What's the matter, Tenny?"

Despite himself, Tenzin wrinkled his nose at his old childish nickname. "I'm not a baby anymore, mother."

"I know." Katara said. "But you will always be my baby, you know that. Now, tell me what's wrong."

Tenzin sighed heavily, leaning forward so that his elbows rested on his knees. "I think you and Dad were right about my relationship with Lin. It's just not working out like I hoped it would."

"Oh. Did you… propose?" Katara asked.

"I never got to that part. Before I could, we got into another argument again. About children. She's made it quite clear now… she doesn't want children _ever_." He ran his hand back over his head, tracing the arrow tattoos that had been put there by his father when he became a Master Airbender years ago. It had hurt like nothing he endured before, but he'd never felt prouder than that day. "I love Lin, but I love my father and his work for restoring the Air Nation more. I can't have my name put down in history as the Airbender who destroyed his race a second time."

"You won't, Tenzin." Katara said, embracing him. "There is still plenty of time. You are not so old yet that you cannot find your soul-mate, someone who will love you and you'll love just as much… someone who is willing to give you children."

"I wish… I wish that it didn't have to be all on me." Tenzin hung his head. "I'm _so sorry_, Mom."

Katara sighed. "Tenzin, listen to me." She made him meet her eyes. "What happened when I was pregnant with you was not your fault. It was no body's fault."

Tenzin's birth… it had been one of the most horrible days of her life. She had all ready given birth twice, and she thought that she was prepared for it. But she couldn't have been more wrong. Something had gone wrong. Nothing was obviously wrong with the pregnancy like malpresentation or anything similar, but there was still something wrong. She was in too much pain in the wrong places. When she told the healers that she had stomach pains, they assumed it was just labor pains. It was only when the headache started that the midwives began to suspect that something was wrong.

Everything became a blur after that: but she did remember the healers saying that her blood was moving far too hard through her body, above what was even considered normal for distress. She didn't remember the birth itself, but she did remember waking up days later to find her family in a great deal of distress. Aang reluctantly told her what happened. After their son, a son, had been born she'd had a seizure episode and fell into unconsciousness for several days. Both Aang and the Waterbending healers had worked on her for days, because all of her energy was twisted and distorted by the illness. The healers assumed that Katara would die, but Aang had refused to give up on her, healing her at all hours while Sokka and his wife had taken care of their children for the time being.

It took weeks more of healing for Katara's energy to become balanced again, but that did not erase the fact that the illness had ravaged her body. The midwives and healers all warned her and her husband that, if she were to conceive again, it would surely mean her death because, once the illness took hold, it could happen again with great certainty.

Being told that she and Aang could have no more children had been a terrible blow to them. Katara had always wanted a house full of children, which worked out fine for Aang because he loved and needed children. But, after that, she could no long provide. They'd cried together that night, giving each other the comfort that they could, and feeling that that, at least, they'd been given three beautiful children before they had been forced to stop by nature.

Tenzin had heard the story from his uncle, Sokka, when he was a teenager and it had haunted him ever since. He couldn't help but feel that it was his fault that his mother almost died and why she and his father couldn't have any more children.

"Tenzin…" Katara whispered, pulling her youngest son into an embrace. "What happened, happened. Nothing that anyone could have done would have stopped it."

"But… Father… what if he wanted more Airbenders…" Tenzin began.

"Your father is content with what the spirits have given him." Katara told her son. "I know, because he told me after I had recovered and we got the news that we could not conceive again… he was just glad that you and I were okay from the ordeal. We're sorry that this trial has to fall on you alone, Tenzin, but both your father and I know that you are strong enough to see it through."

"I have the strength." Tenzin said. "But do I have the heart to do it?" He met his mother's eyes. "I love Lin and she loves me. I know that breaking up with her will hurt her. I don't want to hurt her."

"No one ever wants to hurt the ones that they love." Katara acknowledged. "But hurt walks hand-in-hand with love. Sometimes you do end up hurting the ones that you care about most… like how I hurt your father on Ember Island during the war." She sighed. "I was wrong. I found the strength to apologize. Tenzin, you also have to have the strength to do the right thing."

For a while, Tenzin didn't reply. But then he chuckled softly, shaking his head in amusement. "You know, Mother, I don't think I've ever really appreciated by mixed heritage as much as I do right now." He smiled at her. "I've always been seen as an Air Nomad, through and through. I guess it's not hard to see why. I take after Father in a lot more ways than just my Bending. But I'm more than just an Air Nomad. I'm part Water Tribe too. Father gave in me the unbendable knowledge of right and wrong and the courage to take the harder path. But you, Mother, gave me the strength to do the right thing no matter the cost." Katara smiled fondly at him and embraced him. "Thank you, Mother." Tenzin whispered.

"A mother would do no less for her children." Katara replied. "Have you found the strength, Tenzin?"

"It will be the hardest thing that I've ever had to do. But I have the strength to do it." Tenzin answered.

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**LES: Remember, the first two people (the first from Kataang Forever and here) to guess what illness Katara suffered from will have the next chapter dedicated to them!**

**Here's a little hint to help you guys out: ignore the lists of factors that put you more at risk for the disease. Katara doesn't really fall into them, so I ignored them. You should too. Also, it is a disease that is exclusive towards pregnant women.**


	5. The Break Up

**LES: Well, I've got my two winners!**

**Chapter 5 is hereby dedicated to Kataangled from the Kataang Forever Forum and also to Salve-SiS from Fanfiction dot net! Both were the first to correctly identify the illness that Katara came down with.**

**For those of you who didn't figure it out, Katara got an illness called Eclampsia. It is a condition where a pregnant woman's blood pressure becomes dangerously high. There are lots of symptoms, but the most recognizable are swelling, headache and abdominal pain, high blood pressure (of course), dizziness and confusion, and (in extreme cases) seizures. It is also a disease where, if you get it or its precursor illness (pre-eclampsia) once, you are very likely to get it again.**

**And I have to apologize. I wanted to post this chapter over the Memorial Day break, or at least write it, but I didn't. My Memorial Day weekend didn't start off very great. I had a few bad days, and I didn't want to write this chapter while I was in a bad mood. Writing something as emotionally delicate as this in a bad mood is just asking for trouble… But, I'm better now! Yay!**

**Chapter V: The Break-Up**

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The next morning, just as Lin promised, she made her way back to the Air Temple. She had taken the day off, which was most unlike her. Ever since she'd joined the force, she'd never taken so much as a sick day. The people of Republic City meant more to her than that. But, she had a bad feeling about today. It was hard to say if Tenzin would change his mind or not. Before yesterday, she would have said that he'd never go back on his word, but wasn't he going back on his words of love now?

He had been different, so different from the numerous other men that she'd taken to bed before him. They were immature boys, hardly worth her time. She hadn't really cared for any of them, simply fulfilling a biological need. When they started to get too clingy, she'd left them without a second thought.

But Tenzin had been different from the very beginning. She'd known, from the start that she couldn't just cut and run from him when it got too deep because she cared about him. She had cared about him her whole life: as a playmate, a friend, and a brother. She hadn't jumped straight into bed with him, despite the fact that neither of them were virgins. That's because her relationship with him wasn't physical. It was emotional as well.

He was waiting for her, in the fields where he had training in Airbending as a child. She had spent many days of her childhood watching him in his Airbending exercises, fascinated by the utterly different Bending from what she was used to.

Her heart sank as soon as she saw his face. He was wearing an expression that she'd seen many times since he'd replaced his father as the Air Nation representative on the Council. His jaw was squared and he was standing unnaturally straight. It was the expression that he always wore before doing something distasteful, steeling his resolve for something unpleasant. And she had a feeling that she knew what that something was.

She walked up to him, glaring at him. "I suppose that you're going to stand behind what you said last night."

Tenzin sighed. "I am." Lin's eyes hardened and she turned away from him. "Lin, for what it's worth, I'm _truly_ sorry." He said, moving closer to her. "I never wanted it to end this way. Spirits, I never wanted this to _end_."

"Cut the garbage, Tenzin." Lin said shortly. "If you really wanted this to never end, you'd find a way to make it so?"

"How, Lin?" Tenzin asked desperately. "By having an open marriage? I know that's something that neither of us want, and it's not fair to either of us. If you have another suggestion that works for both of us, I'll happily listen." He paused, giving Lin plenty of time to respond.

Several minutes passed, and Lin did not say anything. "So, that's it then? Cut and run?"

"It's… it's for the good of the world. The world needs Airbenders." Tenzin sighed.

"And _I need you_!" Lin shouted at him.

"You'll have me. Just not as a lover or a husband." Tenzin said. "Lin… despite everything that's come between us… I still love you. That will never change, I assure you." His fingers caressed her cheek. He leaned in to kiss her, but at the last moment, Lin turned her face away so that his lips pressed to her cheek instead. Tenzin pulled away from her, gazing at her sorrowfully.

"You can't do that, Tenzin." Lin hissed. "You can't just… expect me to pretend that nothing happened between us… to go back to the way it was before we got together."

"Lin… I love you. But I'm not the right man for you. We both know that. I just want you to be happy, and I don't think that will happen if we marry. We'd just be butting heads over the children issue for the rest of our lives. Neither of us can live like that. I wish you happiness…" Tenzin said, turning and starting to walk away. He paused mid-step. "I wish that you find a greater love than me. A man who will devote himself to you entirely, one who shares your desire for a childless future."

Lin didn't respond, she turned on her heel and stormed back down the path to the boat waiting for her. Tenzin sighed, hanging his head. He made his way back into the Temple. He just wanted to be alone right now.

* * *

_**The Republic City Chronicle**_

_**Another Delay for the Air Nation**_

_It seems that the whole world has been eagerly awaiting the continued growth of the Air Nation, and once again, they remain disappointed._

_The Air Nomad nation has been in a state of crisis since the beginning of the Hundred Year war when Firelord Sozin began his campaign of war against the other nations by committing a nearly total genocide against the Air Nomads._

_Fate saw fit to give the Air Nomads another chance to rejoin the world in the form of the only Air Nomad to survive the genocide, Avatar Aang. However, people were once again sorely disappointed when only one of the three children that he had with his wife, Master Katara, gained his Airbending abilities._

_That son was Tenzin, the new hope of the Air Nation. But, thus far, he has failed to provide a continued Airbending bloodline. The whole world has watched each of these relationships with bated breath, hoping for a marriage and children to result. This hope was highest with his latest relationship with Lin Bei Fong, the daughter of Master Toph Bei Fong, Avatar Aang's Earthbending instructor and one of his closest friends._

_But sources close to the family have come out and said that Tenzin and Lin Bei Fong have gone their separate ways. "Tenzin decided to break up with Lin." Our source, who wished to remain anonymous, told our reporters. "They had been having issues for a few weeks before the actual break up happened, but I don't know what the break up was about."_

_Neither Tenzin nor Lin Bei Fong has been available to make a comment, but Avatar Aang issued the following statement about his son's termination of his relationship with Lin Bei Fong._

"_They love each other a great deal, and I know that coming to this decision was one of the hardest things that Tenzin's ever done. They did not separate for lack of love, but because they wanted different things for their futures."_

_Avatar Aang refused to elaborate on what differences split the two famous lovers apart, but our anonymous source gave us one possible answer: "Lin doesn't want children. She's said it several times, and they had at least one major argument about children in the weeks before the break up."_

_Tenzin is, of course, expected to have children by the whole world. His parents are not capable of having more children in their age, and if he does not have children, the art of Airbending could very well be lost forever. Without Airbenders, the very future of the Avatar and the world itself would be thrown into doubt._

_One of the Sages working at the Temple of the Avatar in Republic City who has studied the nature of the Avatar for many decades had this to say on the subject: "No one is sure what would happen if the Airbenders were lost completely in relation to the Avatar cycle. The first and foremost effect would be that there would be no Airbenders to train new Avatars in Airbending. But the cycle would eventually come back to Air and that's when things grow murky. What happens to the Avatar Spirit when there is no unborn infant in the proper nation to take it within them? Theories are varied. It's possible that Air could be skipped, removed permanently from the cycle or the Avatar Spirit's cycle of reincarnation could be broken and the Avatar could cease to exist. No one knows, and we don't want to find out the answer."_

_As Tenzin ages, it will become more and more important for him to find a wife. And, while we wait for that to happen, the world can only hold its breath and hope that we don't find out what happens when Air is removed from the Avatar cycle._

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**LES: With an increase in media comes an increase in the negative parts of the media: namely paparazzi. Prying into the private lives of famous people. That's what I wanted to portray with the article.**

**And, speaking of the article… Republic City definitely has a newspaper; I'm just not sure what it's called. If I could read Chinese, I'd probably know. But I can't and I don't. So I just made up the name. It kinda sucks, but oh well…**

**I also want to be very clear that the anonymous source in the article was NOT Pema, although it was an Air Acolyte. Tenzin and Lin had more than one argument in regards to children during the weeks of their troubles, some of them in more public places than others.**


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